Diablo III for Console: Press Kit and PAX East Interview

While Diablo III may seem easy to adapt for console play, there are a lot of quality-of-life changes:

In multiplayer mode, you'll be able to play side-by-side, as well as via the network. The camera will zoom out to accommodate players separated.

Fewer items drop from mobs, but they tend to be high quality. Items you wish to vendor can also be tagged as junk while fighting.

Higher-quality items drop from the console version because there is no Auction House as a means of obtaining gear.

Console monsters have a staggered combat rhythm, as being surprised by a cluster of mobs is exciting and fun on a PC, but less so with console mechanics.

A new event queue shows recent buffs and items looted. Symbols will pop up for all recent items showing how much of an upgrade or downgrade it is, for easy reference.

The achievement system has been converted into trophies and challenges.

Offline play is supported.

My PAX demo playthrough covered part of Act III on a Demon Hunter--Barbarians were also available. I had a blast on the Demon Hunter, as I played mine pretty intensely at launch and killed Inferno Diablo right before the first round of nerfs hit. I took a break when Mists of Pandaria beta coverage picked up, so it was fun to revisit the class. While playing, I had some questions about combat, item, and ability changes, which were answered by senior producer Julia Humphreys.

Click the cut for our PAX East interview with senior producer Julia Humphreys, as well as console screenshots and the fact sheet from the official press kit!

PAX East Interview

The following interview was conducted with senior producer Julia Humphreys.

Will you be able to play Diablo cross-platform, or is console play separate?

You'll be playing with your friends on the PlayStation network. That's where console players play--they have their existing friends lists there, so we're supporting that existing network.

For multiplayer mode, will you be able to play side-by-side, or only via the network?

We support up to four player local co-op: four players online, or any combination. You can have two people playing from the same couch in their home, or remotely joining into the game. Any way you want to play.

Will players be able to play on the same screen?

We're really excited--that's our big new feature for the console version. We made changes to the game, big and small, throughout, but four player local co-op is one of the big defining features. That's a uniquely console way to play the game.

There's a Diablo III expansion in the works for the PC--will that be launching at the same time for console?

Like all Blizzard products, we're really committed to providing timely updates to our console players the same way we provide patches for our PC players. We're always trying to listen to feedback and make continual improvements to the game, to make sure that we're providing what our community needs. The timing on it, for console title updates, is still TBD, but we definitely want to support that.

Playing my demon hunter, I noticed there were some new locking mechanisms for targeting a specific mob. But is there a solution for targeted abilities such as Hydra or Vault?

We're still working on that--I'm actually probably not the best person to be speaking to about design issues with targeting. If you really want to get more in depth, then we can get you in touch with one of our designers.

We do have some basic things like auto-aim and assist which will help with targeting. On the PC version, you're obviously using the mouse to select your targets, and here...you don't want to burden the player with having to spend a lot of time aiming, so we want to make sure you can select the target that you want to attack. So target selection ability is very important--but actual aiming we want to help you out with as much as possible.

How did Blizzard come up with idea to make Diablo III for the console?

A lot of people don't know this, but Blizzard actually started out as a console developer, long ago. We made Lost Vikings, Black Thorn--so in some ways it's like we're coming back to our roots. But ultimately, Blizzard's philosophy is always to figure out the game that we want to make and figure out what's the best platform, what's the best way to play that game. So, it was really exciting to be here today, showing Diablo III on PS3 and also Hearthstone coming to the iPad, because this is about brand-new platforms and a brand-new audience for Blizzard. We want to reach out to them.

What areas have been the biggest challenge to adapt for console?

So I think the two areas that were the most important and our biggest focus overall have been the control scheme. It obviously makes a lot of sense to focus on, and there are a lot of change related to that, such as all the skills in the game. We really tweaked it to fit every skill in the game and to make it feel good with the controller.

And the second area that's a major focus for us is the user interface. Obviously everything on the PC version works really well with a mouse and keyboard and click-and-drag mechanics. We needed to make massive amounts of information accessible on a controller, and also to work with the resolution of a television screen rather than the resolution of a PC monitor. We went through a lot of iterations on the interface and trying to make it as streamlined and intuitive as possible. The item game is so core to Diablo, so we didn't want to start reducing the complexity of items. We instead changed the user interface--how can we make the interface as friendly as possible yet get across essential information?

Can you elaborate on the item interface a bit more? As I was looting items, they'd pop up on the left side of my screen with red and green symbols.

We call that the Event Queue, what comes up in the left-hand corner of the screen. It shows you things like item you've picked up or buffs you've gotten. It's quick, and at a glance you can understand what's happening. You can really easily see a comparison of damage, armor, and life. If you see lots of green, that's good…if you see lots of red, that's probably not an upgrade for you. So if you want to stay in the action, you can pick up something. Maybe it's a rare, and you see lots of green, and you want to equip it right away without having to go into your inventory. You just press up on the D pad and cycle through the last few items that you picked up and you can choose to either equip items or drop them straight into you inventory.

That's pretty neat how the game can decide whether something is an upgrade.

I'm not sure of the exact formula, but basically it's a percentage-based display, such as "If you were to equip this item, what magnitude of an upgrade would you see?" We look at your damage, your armor, or your life, and then how much stronger the new item is relative to your current gear with green or red triangles.

The PC version of Diablo does the same thing, but it shows as numbers. On the console, we're trying to show it quickly. Playing on a TV or sitting far away from the screen, you don't want to be squinting at your screen so we're trying to streamline whenever possible.

I think some PC users would like that simple system in game!

It's also really useful in multiplayer games if you want to stay in the action as much as possible, and you don't want to slow down things by having to go into your inventory and check stuff out. We started with the Item Queue and realized it's also really really useful for

Any plans for an AH?

No, we won't be supporting the Auction House. No real-money Auction House, no gold Auction House.

So if players want to acquire the best gear, what are their options? Trading in party?

Absolutely. You can still do trading. You can trade items locally, although most people usually just drop the item if you're playing locally. If you're playing online with other people, you could initiate a secure trade with someone. We've also made some changes to itemization in the game--I can get into this a little bit.

Early on, we made the decision to allow offline play on the console. We found that a significant number of console players never connected their console to the internet at all. Their living room setup doesn't support it, or they're moving around in different rooms…whatever the case may be. And we didn't want to exclude those people from our community. So we made the decision to do offline play, and so the decision to not have an Auction House was tied to that.

But as a result, we realized that even though Diablo is primarily a social and competitive game, there's going to be a significant percentage of people that may be playing by themselves all the way to Inferno. We want to make sure they're getting all the best items too, so they can really feel awesome and powerful by the end of their experience.

One of the changes that we've made is we're dropping fewer items, but we're making sure that they're of better quality. This goes along with trying to streamline inventory management. So there will be fewer lesser-quality items to vendor, and you'll feel awesome.

Yeah, things could get clunky quickly if your bags always filled up while playing on a console.We do also allow you in the console version to mark items as junk, so if you're going through your inventory, you can just mark them as junk right there right there, and the next time you go back to town, you can just sell all of your junk right away.

That seems to be a good overall improvement! Another thing players would like on the PC version.

The console version has streamlined the UI a ton--it doesn't take up much space on the screen. Are there any plans to do similar streamlining or UI improvements for the PC version?

I think, with all of our decisions, we're trying to make the best decisions for the game based on the platform they're on. The hotbar on the PC version has a lot of functionality, but it doesn't make sense for a controller. There's a lot of things that you're clicking on with your mouse, even things that you don't necessarily even have on the console version. Those iconic globes and that iconic hotbar makes a lot of sense on a PC.

On the console version, we don't need that hotbar because we've mapped everything onto a controller, instead of clicking with the mouse. It also gives us the opportunity to open up the screen and make it feel incredibly immersive. You're right there in the world, and that's really important to us, because one of the big advantages that we have on console is you get to play on a giant TV in your living room, while sitting back on your couch. And we want to make sure that your'e getting as much of the world experience on that giant TV as possible.

Going back to multiplayer games on the same TV--is there some sort of zoom function?

There's camera logic on the same screen for multiplayer. The camera will adjust to try to keep everyone on screen at the same time. There's some limit to a zoom out function as you move away from each other, and then it comes back when you move closer together. You will need to stay together as a party in co-op, and that's actually part of what makes the experience really fun. You're moving together, you're working together, killing monsters together, and you're celebrating in the loot drops together. If someone needs a break, or has to get up and walk away, it will drag the player along so you're not stuck there waiting for a person to come.

How will Diablo's achievement system translate to the console version?

We have trophies--one of the great advantages of working with Sony as a partner is we get all of the features on the Playstation network. A lot of those features are things similar to what we put into Battle.net to support the PC community. PS3 players are used to playing on the PlayStation Network--they'll be able to have trophies for many of the same things that you have on the PC version. We've taken a subset of those major high-level PC achievements and made them the trophies through PlayStation Network, and in addition to that, you can get the rest of the PC achievements as challenges--so you can still have that collection aspect of the game.

So you can still unlock banner customizations, for example.Yes, absolutely. You will get the same banner rewards that you can have on the PC.

Will the console version come with features added after Diablo's launch, like Paragon levels?

An advantage over the staggered development of the PC product is that we get a lot of the improvements and additions that have been made to the PC product at launch. We'll have everything up to and including patch 1.0.7--brawling, monster power, paragon, infernal machine, legendary changes, itemization changes, skill tweaking.

Thinking about droprate and item changes again, it makes sense there wouldn't also be cross-platform play if the console and PC versions dropped things at different rates. Are there any other subtle changes like that?

Aside from technical reasons, that's one of the main reasons we decided not to do cross-platform play. On the surface, they look very similar if you're just watching someone play the game. But we've made so many changes big and small to the way powers work, itemization, and the monsters in the game. They really are different products.

Do the console monsters have different powers or different combinations of abilities?

So the monster powers are the same as on the PC, but one change that we needed to make is combat rhythm. On the PC version, it feels good to get mobbed by tons of enemies at once, and then you get to take all of them on! That's a good feeling and makes you feel very powerful. But on the console version, it doesn't feel as good with a controller.

We've adjusted some of the monster behavior so that they approach you more in waves, rather than always mobbing you all at the same time. It feels a lot better if you're just moving your thumb around different buttons on the controller.

Console Screenshots

Fact Sheet

Blizzard

PRODUCT OVERVIEW:

Blizzard Entertainment’s epic action-RPG Diablo® III is moving the eternal war between the High Heavens and the Burning Hells to a new battleground—PlayStation®3! Armed with a controller and a custom-designed interface tailored for consoles, players will step into the role of one of five powerful character classes—barbarian, witch doctor, wizard, monk, or demon hunter—and embark on a dark journey to save the world of Sanctuary from ancient demonic forces. As these heroes adventure from the humble town of New Tristram all the way to the Diamond Gates of the High Heavens, they’ll engage in pulse-pounding combat with hordes of monsters and challenging bosses, grow in experience and ability, and acquire items of incredible power.

Blizzard Entertainment originally released Diablo III for Windows® and Macintosh® PC on May 15, 2012. Within 24 hours it had become the fastest-selling PC game of all time, and as of December 31, 2012, Diablo III had sold through more than 12 million copies worldwide.

Комментарии

Комментарий от jesmondo

on 2013-03-30T17:12:31-05:00

I stopped playing D3 beginning of 1.3 when it finally sunk in that the game was built around the auction house. But, I do have to say no auction house and available offline play from the comfort of a couch sound appealing.

Комментарий от Rainemard

on 2013-03-30T18:30:42-05:00

Wtb console controls / interface for PC!

I'm kinda really bad at click-to-move games...

Комментарий от lans83

on 2013-03-30T20:15:05-05:00

I'm wondering if the console version would have an option to let players use a mouse and keyboard since the PS3 supports them as do some of it's games. Would be a nice way for some PC players to adapt a little easier to a console if they're not familiar with it. Just wish more FPS games would offer that option. Still, can't wait to get this one myself.

Комментарий от CrimsonPut

on 2013-03-30T20:57:14-05:00

I stopped playing D3 beginning of 1.3 when it finally sunk in that the game was built around the auction house. But, I do have to say no auction house and available offline play from the comfort of a couch sound appealing.

That'll probably be the only way I ever play it again. All in all the game was complete crap.

Комментарий от TheWheatOne

on 2013-03-31T11:32:13-05:00

Seems they are trying to recoup their loss of a fanbase with how badly D3 failed.

Комментарий от Excelion

on 2013-03-31T12:27:16-05:00

Off-topic, but I'd like to mention Noblegarden starts tomorrow, so Wowhead might want to link to its guide on the frontpage and news page like they do with other events. :)

The March Easter kind of caught me off-guard this year.

Also looking forward to your April Fool's tomorrow.

Комментарий от AingealWroth

on 2013-04-01T01:07:26-05:00

If we already bought PC D3... we have to buy PS3 D3 separate to play? I would enjoy doing it on the console, I think, since I do not like so much clicking in my games, but a second charge to do so is... not encouraging.

Edit, to address other comments =Holabola: I think for most 'hardcore' fans, D3 is too far ahead of the curve. I tried D1 and some D2... it was too clunky for me. Not a diss on the game, I was just too used to newer gen stuff by that point, kept feeling like I needed to squint. Other than the mass clicking, I like D3 and enjoy playing it.

Xemperor: some games do not need double purchase, they sync up from PC to console, so while I assumed I would need to double purchase, the obvious thing to do was ask, since I was unsure. Since you have nothing nice to say, apparently, why not gtfo?

Комментарий от Mort1982

on 2013-04-01T02:49:49-05:00

I want to know if we will be able to use our characters from D3 PC on the PS3 if not then there is really no reason for the majority of people to play it versus the PC version if they already own the game...

Комментарий от Xemperor

on 2013-04-01T06:15:16-05:00

If we already bought PC D3... we have to buy PS3 D3 separate to play? I would enjoy doing it on the console, I think, since I do not like so much clicking in my games, but a second charge to do so is... not encouraging.

Well of course you need to buy it on the console even if you have the PC version.Such an extremely dumb question.

If you can´t afford it, don´t buy it

I want to know if we will be able to use our characters from D3 PC on the PS3 if not then there is really no reason for the majority of people to play it versus the PC version if they already own the game...

No.

"Higher-quality items drop from the console version because there is no Auction House as a means of obtaining gear."

Kinda answered your question, why?Well why would anyone play the game on the PS when you can just buy everything on the PC Auction House, then transfer it to the PS.

Some people with their logic ;)

I´m curious why the Xbox did not get it as wellWas it hardware issue, license issue, Microsoft not willing to cooperate?

Комментарий от holabola

on 2013-04-02T11:48:34-05:00

So, could someone help me understand why many dislike the game.

First off, I never played the original Diablos, so that may affect my judgement of the game, but anyway, I really enjoyed the game. The online handicap was never an issue for me, and I played the game for a year straight, running with friends, getting gear, buying and selling on the AH, and making new friends. I didn't really have any issues with the game besides it being kind of short, but with the inclusion of Monster Power, it gave me months of extended playability.

Maybe it's like Mass Effect 3, where even though the game itself is amazing (I LOVED ME3) , one issue (the ending for ME3) and the public outcry about that one issue makes everyone hate the game.

Though, I really want to hear your guys' thoughts! What do you think ruined the game enough for you to hate it? Or like it? Or love it? Or make love to it? Whatever!